Glass baking pans, etc

I'm procrastinating instead of packing.  The movers will be here 18.5 hours, and I'm playing with the computer!  I really have to know if it is worth it to pack my glass baking dishes, bowls, and measuring cups.  Are they easy and cheap tp replace?

Thanks to you all, I have already packed my plastic measuring cups and a set of measuring spoons.  And heaps of blessings to whoever said to bring the adjustable screens for the windows.  Love fresh air, hate critters.

I was just in woolworths and everything in there seems pretty cheap!  But I say if you have recipies from the US, bring your glass measuring cup, just so you don't have to figure out how to convert measurments each time.

Hmmm, that's a good question. You can get measuring cups pretty easily but I think that the glass and Pyrex we're used to could be a bit harder to come by. I also find that the sizes here tend to be a bit different than US ones...so if you're doing US recipes, your UK pans may not either hold the batch properly or come out looking the same as back in the US.

Ceramic bakeware is quite easy to find here.

Yes to the measuring cups (and spoons, if you have them), particularly if you are bringing over favourite American cookbooks, or have well-memorized recipes.  Us Brits tend to weigh everything, and if we use cups and spoons, they are actually different sizes from the American ones.

Yes to the measuring cups (and spoons, if you have them), particularly if you are bringing over favourite American cookbooks, or have well-memorized recipes.  Us Brits tend to weigh everything, and if we use cups and spoons, they are actually different sizes from the American ones.

Not entirely true... I bought great 'American' measuring cups and measuring spoons at John Lewis. As far as I'm aware, a teaspoon is a teaspoon is a teaspoon no matter which country you're in. 

Thank you, Stacey, Balmerhon, and Howard!  In they go!  What was I thinking??  How could I make a real Italian lasagna without a 9 x 13 glass dish?

a teaspoon is a teaspoon is a teaspoon no matter which country you're in

Though you are probably right about teaspoons, I was talking about spoons generally.  Tablespoons are different - have a look at

http://www.cadbury.co.uk/EN/CTB2003/talk_to_us/faq/american.htm

While you can of course get American cup measures here, I didn't want Chris to go into a hardware shop and buy Brit cups without realizing the difference!

Huh, well that's weird!  Looking at the chart, not the paragraph...How can 1 US tbsp = 1 UK tbsp but 3 US tbsp = 2 UK ones?

I shall bear this in mind for future reference, though I can say that I've had no disasters not knowing this!!! 

I think the reason is that for small quantities, like one tbsp of ingredient, the difference between the measures is not significant enough to make a difference.  With larger quantities, like 2 Brit tbsp upwards, the difference of 3.5 ml *does* start to make a difference, and the two measures become more out of flunter unless you start to make the  corrections suggested in the table.

(Well, I think I understand my own explanation, but if it is only as clear as mud [or chocolate!], do let me know, and I'll give it another go!)

I do understand Howard! It just seems really odd to see it in black and white, doesn't it? That said, I can't think of that many recipes that call for multiple tablespoons of things. I think this would explain why I haven't had any problems - I hope! 

I've managed to muddle through most of my US recipes using US measuring cups and British measuring spoons, but I suspect it's because I've not had to use multiple tablespoons.

I think Jamie Oliver (celebrity chef) has the right idea.  No measuring!  Handful of this, dash or that...It's only really for baking (delicate) cakes that you need to be fairly accurate, and there are lots of very good British recipes, that conveniently use easy-to-find ingredients.

I agree... this is how i cook as well.
And i've never had a problem finding glass or pyrex baking pans. 

many recipes that call for multiple tablespoons of things

But Balmerhon, and you other good ladies, we *are* talking chocolate (or at least the Cadbury's site is) here!!!!!

If you have pans and things that you like by all means bring them-yes, you can find them here but who wants to trawl around trying to  replace ones that you already have.  And by all means bring your measuring cups and spoons.  There's nothing wrong with sticking to recipes that you like/have grown up with.  I've lived here for nearly fifteen years and still use American recipes, the only time that the scales come out is when the kids have food-tech and I must admit I find it such a fiddly way to cook. 
A handful of this, a handful of that is fine for cooking, but baking is a science-hence the measured amounts.  If your baking doesn't come out right it's because you're not measuring properly.  I was taught to bake at an early age and find no need to change the habits of a lifetime, just because I live in a foriegn country.  It doesn't affect anyone but myself and my family-who certainly don't seem to mind eating American recipes. 

Joss used to have an aunt whose baking was the most scrumptious any of us had ever eaten; but the thing is, she never measured anything except by eye.  We had no idea how things came out so well - some think she might have had arcane powers!

My breadmaker came with American cups and spoons, but I found it too fiddly (used to cover the kitchen in flour!) and not really accurate enough - how can you really be sure of the compactness of flour in a cup, for example?  So I use zeroing electronic digital scales for breadmaking now and measure in grammes (a far finer scale than Imperial even though I don't understand metric), and have cut down my measuring time by two-thirds, and upped my baking accuracy and consistency.

But as Mindy says, whatever works for you!